Sports poll: Bill Snyder's injury information policy

Thursday

Nov 8, 2012 at 8:24 AM

The Capital-Journal

From the first year of what would become a storybook coaching career at Kansas State, coach Bill Snyder has always been a frozen fountain of information when it comes to telling the public about the extent of a player's injury.

Snyder's reluctance to talk about injuries is both benevolent and tactical. His primary concern, he has said, is player safety. A player known to be performing on a sore knee or shoulder, he knows, is more likely to see an opponent taking opportune shots at that knee or shoulder. Such is the brutal world of big-time football.

From a tactical standpoint, no football coach worth his whistle wants an opponent knowing his quarterback can't throw long because of a sore shoulder, or his nickel cornerback isn't at full strength because of a strained hamstring.

The NFL has long recognized the public's interest in the playing status of high profile athletes.

Its policy requires a team to release on the Wednesday before a Sunday game a list of injured players. The list includes a non-specific description of the injury (knee, shoulder, ankle) and a broad projection of availability — probable (75 percent chance of playing), questionable (50-50), doubtful (a 25 percent chance of playing) or out.

College football has never had such a policy. With the advent in recent years of federal HIPA regulations regarding the release of patient information, it likely never will.

But there were times in years gone by when many coaches would tell their fans at least something about a key player either dinged or battered. "He's got a sore knee, and right know we don't know if he'll play Saturday. We'll have to see how he progresses through the week," was a common refrain at a coach's early-week press conference.

But then Snyder began treating injury information like a state secret — Remember when he had non-playing players surround and shield an injured teammate receiving treatment on the bench? — and opposing league coaches began changing their approach. If Snyder doesn't have to say anything, neither do I, many said on more than one occasion.

This has often caused minor conflict between coaches and reporters, who continue to ask injury-related questions even when they know what the answer will be. To some, that's the classic definition of insanity. To others, it is the media doing its job of asking questions it thinks the public would like answered.

Over the years,Kansas journalists and Snyder have come to an understanding. We have to ask, you don't have to answer. Some weekly pressers, in fact, don't even have an injury question.

Until, that is, the injured player is a Heisman Trophy candidate.

When quarterback Collin Klein, the heart-and-soul of the unbeaten Wildcats' bid to play in the BCS championship game, did not come out in the third quarter last week against Oklahoma State, the Purple Nation held its collective breath. Was it a wrist, was it a head injury.

Snyder, as is his custom, revealed nothing.

He did allow in following days that Klein was looking better with whatever he had — most likely a blow to the head — and likely would be available this week for a game with a real good TCU team. It was at least an inkling of good news, and for that K-State fans were grateful.

"I understand your position and understand you have work to carry out and a job to do," Snyder told the media this week. "So do I. I understand your role and I hope you understand my interest in my players is beyond football and I always want to do the right thing for young people in our program. I think any coach in the country would feel exactly the same way.

"I don’t want to put any young person in any undue jeopardy whatsoever. That’s why I don’t address injuries."

Reasonable, to be sure. But we've always wondered over the years, as sports journalists who ask questions we know won't get answered because we think you, the fan, have an interest in knowing:

How do you really feel about Bill Snyder's injury information policy?

Some will say it doesn't much matter, that their interest in their school or their team will remain the same regardless of who is on the field. Others will say that whatever Snyder decides is in the best interest of his program is perfectly fine with them. After all, he's only taken the former Futility U. to the mountaintop, to a position as the No. 2 team in this week's BCS standings. Who questions the judgment of Moses in taking his people to the Promised Land?

Or, do you believe that as a ticket-buying, donation-making fan — or a TV network paying the freight of much of college athletics today — that you have a right to know at least some general information about a key player's availability for an upcoming game. Nothing specific, certainly, but perhaps the broad NFL description of probable, questionable, doubtful or out.

That is the subject of this week's End Zone sports poll. Free free to vote in the poll that accompanies this story, and comment (if a registered user at CJOnline) in the space below.

LAST WEEK

We asked which two of four still unbeaten teams were most likely to appear in the BCS championship game, or if a team with one-loss might somehow slip in. The answers surprised no one around here.

Advertising

Stay Connected

Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted.
The Topeka Capital-Journal ~ 616 SE Jefferson, Topeka, KS 66607 ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service